Georgia 2018 Election Results

General Election, November 6, 2018

Georgia held its general election on November 6, 2018, deciding 234 legislative seats and 8 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• Republicans swept every statewide office, but Democrats narrowed both legislative majorities, led by gains in suburban Gwinnett County. Two statewide races went to a December 4 runoff under Georgia's majority-vote rule.
• Brian Kemp (R) defeated Stacey Abrams (D), who was seeking to become the first Black woman elected governor in the country, by about 55,000 votes, under 1.5 points, finishing just above the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff. Kemp ran while still secretary of state, the office that oversaw the election itself, and resigned after declaring victory. Abrams pressed to count more provisional and absentee ballots, then ended her bid ten days after the election without conceding. She said she would not challenge the result in court but would sue in federal court over how the election was run.
• Kemp's open secretary of state seat went to a runoff after neither Brad Raffensperger (R) nor John Barrow (D) reached 50 percent in November. Raffensperger won the December 4 rematch by about 4 points, in a contest Vox described as a referendum on voting rights. The same runoff returned Public Service Commission incumbent Chuck Eaton (R) over Lindy Miller (D) by about 3.5 points, while fellow commissioner Tricia Pridemore (R) avoided a runoff by clearing 50 percent by a quarter of a point.
• The other statewide Republicans won by roughly 3 to 6 points: Geoff Duncan (R) for lieutenant governor over Sarah Riggs Amico (D), Jim Beck (R) for insurance commissioner, Attorney General Chris Carr (R), appointed in 2016, for a full term, and re-elected Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black (R), Labor Commissioner Mark Butler (R), and School Superintendent Richard Woods (R).
• Of the 234 legislative races, 142 had only one candidate on the ballot. Neither chamber changed hands, but 19 seats switched parties, nearly all toward Democrats, and voters ousted 10 sitting legislators.
  • Gwinnett County's delegation swung sharply toward Democrats. In the Senate, Sally Harrell (D) unseated Sen. Fran Millar (R) in District 40, and Zahra Karinshak (D) won District 48.
  • The closest upsets came in the House: Mary Robichaux (D) unseated Rep. Betty Price (R) in House District 48 by about 150 votes, and Mary Frances Williams (D) beat Rep. Sam Teasley (R) in House District 37 by fewer than 200.
  • Republicans picked up only three seats: Houston Gaines (R) unseated Deborah Gonzalez (D) in House District 117, Marcus Wiedower (R) unseated Jonathan Wallace (D) in House District 119, and Mike Cheokas (R) won House District 138.
• Voters approved all 7 statewide ballot questions, including Amendment 1, dedicating sales tax revenue from outdoor recreation gear to land conservation; Amendment 2, creating a state business court; and Amendment 4, the Marsy's Law crime victims' rights amendment. Amendment 3 (timberland valuation), Amendment 5 (school sales tax referendums), and Referendums A and B (property tax exemptions) also passed.

Legislature

• House (180 seats): 64 D, 115 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 75 D, 104 R, 1 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (56 seats): 19 D, 37 R before the election, 21 D, 35 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures

Runoffs, December 4, 2018

Georgia held runoffs on December 4, 2018, deciding 2 statewide offices.

Statewide races